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Whether you are a seasoned walker or new to walking holidays, Collett’s offers both guided and self-guided options in some of Europe’s most scenic mountain destinations.
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Self-guided vs. Guided Walking Holidays: Which is right for you?
Author : Lara Ehmler
21st November 2024
Choosing a walking holiday is about finding the adventure and experience that harmonises with your holiday ambitions, whether you crave freedom and flexibility, or structure with a fixed itinerary. From a fitness point of view, it is also important to choose a holiday that keeps you in your comfort zone. At Collett's Mountain Holidays, we offer both guided and self-guided walking holidays to suit different levels of fitness in a range of stunning European destinations, such as the Italian Dolomites, Swiss Alps, Austria, Pyrenees etc. Each style has its benefits, so let’s explore which one might be best for you...
What is the difference between guided and self-guided walking holidays?
The obvious difference is the presence of a guide – or not! But on a more conceptual level, the main difference between guided and self-guided walking holiday lies in how you explore and how much structure you prefer on your journey.
- Guided walking holidays are perfect for those that like to walk in groups and not worry about reading maps or directions in order to stay on track. Our expert English-speaking guides will look after you every step of the way, whilst furnishing each walk with fascinating local facts, which might be historical, architectural, geological, botanical etc.
- Self-guided walking holidays are perfect for those that want to enjoy their walks at their own pace. You may want to take a bit more time over lunch, spend a little longer enjoying the mountain views, or take a diversion or two off the beaten track in an area that takes your fancy. You aren’t tied to the pace or personalities of the group, meaning you can also pick up the pace as you please. Essentially, you can also choose what to do day by day, so if you wear yourself out on a challenging hike one day, you are free to do something more gentle the next.
At Collett’s, we have been planning walking holidays since 1997, expertly crafting unforgettable moments in nature. From the magic of the Dolomites to the wilderness of the Pyrenees, our range of guided and self-guided walking holidays reveal some of the most heavenly corners of Europe.
How do self-guided walking holidays work?
On a self-guided walking holiday with Collett’s, you have the freedom to explore our beautiful destinations at your own pace. Here is how it works:
Personalised Route Information
Carefully curated route notes, maps, and access to our smartphone navigation app are provided before you travel. Our most popular walking holidays in the Alps are probably our centre-based ones, but whichever holiday you choose, our mission is to provide everything you need for a plain-sailing succession of unforgettable walks, whether you are taking on challenging treks, intermediate classics or idyllic flower-meadow strolls – or doing a mix of grades throughout your stay.
The cornerstone of our centre-based self-guided walking holidays is your personal and detailed Walk Pack, in which we present 18 walks, 6 of which are ‘Easy & Idyllic,’ 6 of which are ‘Classic Moderates’ and 6 of which are ‘Challenging Treks.’ The pack comes with a 1;25000 walking map of the area, a Holiday Handbook with lots of useful logistical information, and comprehensive route notes for each walk, which – along with our optional smartphone navigation app – will guarantee you a plain-sailing string of wow-factor walks.
The icing on the cake is the daily support of our enthusiastic Walks Teams, which is available each early evening to answer any questions and offer you recommendations that suit your fitness level and ambition. This highly informal and relaxed meeting is completely optional. Called Office Hour, it is much less formal than its name suggests and, as your holiday progresses, it becomes a charming, daily opportunity to enjoy a sociable, pre-dinner drink with our team and other guests, whilst gleaning enough information to enjoy the rest of your evening with everything sorted for the following day.
Daily Flexibility
During our centre-based holidays, you decide your start time, the pace, and where to take breaks. Want to stop and take photos of the wildflowers? Or linger at a viewpoint to enjoy the scenery? It’s completely up to you!
During our hut-to-hut and village-to-village holidays, we provide you with a recommended start time in your Walk Notes to ensure you have plenty of time to complete your walk before arriving at your next overnight stop.
Discover more information about what to expect from our signature centre-based holidays in our interview with first-time guest, Rosemarie, after her Collett’s walking holiday in Switzerland.
Read The Review
Authentic Accommodation
Our handpicked accommodation is an important part of our holidays, whether you go guided or self-guided. We want your evenings to be as enjoyable as your time in the great outdoors. Expect fabulous food, warm hospitality, a comfortable night’s sleep, stunning views and, in many cases, a relaxing health spa to soothe the muscles after an active day. Many of our featured accommodations are owned and managed by families that we now consider friends. We are certain you will soon feel welcome and at home. Our centre-based walking holidays allow you to choose between a range of different places to stay, including traditional guesthouses, 3* and 4* hotels and self-catering apartments.
During ourself-guided hut-to-hut holidays, you will be staying in handpicked mountain huts (‘rifugios’). It goes without saying that, in the modern age, these are not really huts at all. Indeed, some of them are impressively modern and salubrious, whilst others have kept a rustic traditional feel. Nevertheless, they all offer delicious food, wonderful camaraderie, exceptional vistas and a good night’s sleep. These lodges inevitably provide immediate access to the trails that comprise your point-to-point itinerary. There is something very special about waking up high in the Dolomites, as the mix of sunrise and mountain is inspirational. That said, the sunsets can be truly overwhelming and hopefully you will be lucky enough to see the Enrosadira, a local phenomenon that occurs when the west-facing rockfaces glow a fiery-pink colour, as the sun goes down.
Read more about this experience in our guest blog, written by first-time guests Sam and Max.
Read The Review
Seamless Logistics
If you are heading on one of our self-guided village-to-village walking holidays, we take care of transporting your luggage to your next overnight stop, whilst you find your way using our comprehensive route notes and maps (plus – in most cases – the option to use our smartphone navigation app). The majority of our holidays also include airport transfers, as well as transport to and from your trailheads, as applicable. Half-board options ensure you get to experience fantastic local cuisine, which can be so appreciated and necessary after an exhilarating day of activity. So, all you have to do on a Collett’s Village-to-Village holiday is focus on the magical scenery of your daily walks! These holidays are, indeed, the perfect blend of adventure and comfort.
Emergency Support
Depending on the holiday you choose, support is always at hand, whether it is through a Collett’s in-resort Walks Team, or provided by our third-party partners. We provide telephone numbers for you to call if you have any concern or problems, and this inevitably provides invaluable peace of mind.
What is a guided walking holiday?
In contrast, a guided walking holiday offers a structured experience with a set itinerary, led by a knowledgeable guide, who takes care of navigation, safety, and furnishes each walk with interesting information about the local area, whether that be historical, geological, botanical, architectural etc. Here’s what you can expect:
Experienced guides
Our English-speaking guides know the local terrain intimately, often having lived in the area for years. They handle navigation, point out landmarks, and share fascinating information about the landscape, flora, and fauna.
Small groups
Our guided walking holidays are sociable by nature, making them more of a convivial experience. Group sizes are limited, so that the experience is personal and more concentrated. During a Collett’s guided holiday, a relaxed group dynamic prevails with walkers and the guide enjoying dinner together at shared tables.
Fixed or flexible itinerary?
Guided walking holidays have a set itinerary but can be slightly tweaked based on the group’s abilities and preferences. If the guide is confident about the overall fitness level of the group, he/she will feel inclined to maximise your wonder and enjoyment, feeling the freedom to add in unscheduled, unexpected highlights, such as a secret viewpoint or a detour on a remote, hidden trail.
Peace of Mind
Peace of mind and a complete sense of being safe in the mountains is a key advantage of a guided walking holiday in the Alps or Pyrenees is the presence of the guide. It is a significant luxury to have a carefree holiday with all the logistics taken care of. In effect, the guide puts memorable walks on a plate for you. All you have to do is take in the views and occasionally listen to the guide’s fascinating facts on the area, which itself can be a considerably valuable dimension to the holiday. In short, by selecting a guided walking holiday, you are guaranteeing yourself a succession of well-organised, stress-free days in the great outdoors.
Pros and cons of Self-guided Walking Holidays
Advantages of self-guided walking holidays
- Flexibility: You choose the start time, the pace, the location and walk grade from up to 21 memorable walks, researched by us over many years.
- Sense of accomplishment: Navigating the trails yourself can be very rewarding, especially for seasoned walkers on higher treks who enjoy the challenge.
- Ideal for reflection and personal reinvigoration: If you cherish quiet time in nature, a self-guided holiday allows you to explore undisturbed, and to make forays off the beaten track. Many of the walks will be unfrequented, depending on the time of year, meaning peaceful time to recharge mentally in the best landscapes in Europe.
- Avoiding the maddening one – whilst most hikers are like-minded and make a positive contribution to a guided group experience, it is possible for one wayward personality to compromise the joy. A self-guided holiday gives you the freedom of hiking in the company of tried and tested companions.
Possible Disadvantages of Self-guided Walking Holidays
- Navigation responsibility: You’ll need to be comfortable reading maps or walk notes, even though user-friendly smartphone navigation is widely available on our walking holidays.
- Lack of on-the-spot insights: Without a guide, questions might remain unanswered. A guide will tell you the name of a certain flower, or a distant peak. A guide might also explain the origins of the trail you are walking, putting buildings and villages into a historical context, or geographical features into a geological one. On our centre-based walking holidays, our local Walks Teams have good local knowledge and enthusiastically answer questions about the area on a daily basis, but they do not accompany you on the actual walks. Also, they are primarily trained to advise on our many walks, not their specific features. That said, at Office Hour when guests have the option of joining our Walks Team for a sociable pre-dinner drink, there is a good deal of knowledge in the room! Take a look at our recent Q&A blog series on Office Hour.
With Collett’s, our self-guided walking holidays are perfect for walkers who enjoy independent exploration, a wide choice of accommodation and the option to spend their days spontaneously, all whilst having the reassurance of support when needed.
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Pros and cons of guided walking holidays
Advantages of a guided walking holiday
- Guided expertise: Enjoy insights into local culture, history, geology, fauna and botany that guides are qualified to provide.
- Social experience: Perfect for sharing the adventure with like-minded people.
- Stress-free: Relax and let your guide handle logistics and navigation.
Possible disadvantages of a guide walking holiday
- Set itineraries: Guided holidays unfold around a fixed itinerary. Flexibility can be limited if the group has mixed fitness levels.
- Walking pace: Whilst guides are sensitive to everyone in the group, walking at your own pace, and pausing when you feel like it, is not an option.
- Less ‘alone’ time: Guided walking holidays tend to suit the more outgoing type, who thrive in a group dynamic and don’t mind who they end up sitting next to at dinner.
Guided walking holidays with Collett’s are carefully selected to offer a well-rounded experience with a guide, who is engaging, sensitive and trustworthy. We cannot, however, make ourselves aware of the fitness levels of everyone who books such holidays. We therefore rely on guests to have the appropriate level of fitness for the holiday they choose.
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Which type of walking holiday is best for you?
So, should you go on a guided or self-guided holiday? The answer depends on what type of experience you are after. Here are a few questions to help you decide:
Do you prefer structure or freedom?
If you like to book a holiday with full knowledge of what the walking entails from Day 1 through to the end, go guided.
If, however, you are more free-spirited and fancy choosing day-to-day how to explore your stunning surroundings, venturing out after a leisurely breakfast at your own pace, go self-guided.
Are you comfortable navigating alone?
If you’d rather not think about navigation, or you do not completely trust your navigational ability, go guided – even if we are in the age of smartphone navigation, which is widely available at Collett’s.
If you are natural adventurer with a desire to self-navigate and explore at leisure without being part of a group, go self-guided.
Do you want a sociable or more personal experience?
If you are comfortable in a like-minded group dynamic, open to the idea of chatting and laughing over sociable walks and dinners, go guided.
If you travel with a partner or friends and you would prefer your holiday predominantly to unfold in their company, go self-guided.
Do you want centre-based or point-to-point?
Most of our guided holidays are point-to-point with luggage transferred on a daily basis to your next overnight stop. If you don’t mind packing your bags on a daily basis and moving on, go guided.
On our self-guided walking holidays you can unpack your case and settle into the warm hospitality of our authentic accommodation, which will be a springboard for multiple walks of all grades, which radiate in all directions from your village base. If this appeals to you, go self-guided. These centre-based holidays in Austria, Switzerland and Italy are our most popular walking adventures, especially as they are supported by an in-resort Walks Team, which itself adds a certain degree of guidance to the holiday.
By the way, there are a few anomalies here. For example, we have a guided walking holiday in Andalucia, which is centre-based! We also have guided walking holidays in the Pyrenees, which are twin-centre hiking experiences on the GR11. Finally, we have village-to-village and hut-to-hut holidays which are self-guided point-to-point holidays! Confused? Visit colletts.co.uk and all will become clear!
Find Your Perfect Walking Holiday
At Collett’s, we are passionate about creating walking holidays that suit every type of explorer. Whether you are a seasoned walker or new to walking holidays, Collett’s offers both guided and self-guided options in some of Europe’s most scenic mountain destinations. Each location and holiday type are designed to bring out the best of the natural surroundings, ensuring you have a memorable walking experience.
